Should We Be Listening to Gin Wigmore?

Um… how I am just now hearing about Gin Wigmore? Because (1) she’s amazing and (2) her album Gravel & Wine dropped in her native New Zealand in late 2011. 2011! When nobody’s pants had Gangnam style and Jennifer Lawrence was just some indie actress. If we’d had Wigmore’s music back then, we would have felt SO much better about things. Or at least, we’d have had something to play after we listened to “Set Fire to the Rain” for the millionth time.

But now we Yanks are getting our chance to enjoy the Amy Winehouse/Duffy fusion that Wigmore’s serving up. I mean… yes… her songs have already been on Grey’s Anatomy and Teen Wolf, but Gravel & Wine didn’t arrive Stateside until this Tuesday. So she’s basically brand new.

The point is: Let’s get crackin’. She’s awesome.

For instance, there’s her song “Black Sheep,” where she proudly, boozily declares that will never fall into a “shallow grave that wants to take us all.” Instead of following the herd, she’s going to be the defiant outcast with a “pistol for a mouth.” Her garage rock wail and bluesy backing band make me buy the attitude. (BTW: This is the song that was on Teen Wolf.)

But if you need a torch song with a swaying,waltz-y tempo and the slightly echoing production that recalls the sock hop tearjerkers of the 1950s, then my girl’s also got you covered. Just throw on your poodle skirt and enjoy “If Only.” (This intro to this live performance from an Australian morning show also delivers helpful factoids about Wigmore’s early career.)

Like I said, this music is very reminiscent of Amy Winehouse and Duffy’s retro-rock. Duffy’s pretty much disappeared, however, and Winehouse certainly isn’t making any more music, so it’s nice to have another lady who can fill the Dusty Springfield void. I’m in. I’m totally in.